Tag: Virus

New Zealand takes biggest economic hit in 29 years

WELLINGTON, United States (AFP) — New Zealand’s economy suffered its biggest contraction in 29 years during the first three months of the year, official data showed Thursday, with worse expected as the coronavirus pandemic’s full impact emerges. Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 1.6 percent in the January-March quarter, the biggest fall since early 1991. The contraction exceeded market expectations of about one percent, even though the quarter only covers the early stages of the coronavirus […]

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Study shows how quickly coronavirus spreads at home

by Patrick GALEY PARIS, France (AFP) — The novel coronavirus is twice as infectious within households than similar diseases such as SARS, with a substantial number of additional infections spreading before a COVID-19 sufferer shows any symptoms, according to modelling released Thursday. Researchers based in China and the United States said their findings could have profound impacts on reducing the number of new infections as the pandemic progresses. Using data on 350 COVID-19 patients and […]

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WHO halts hydroxychloroquine trials on COVID-19 patients

by Robin MILLARD GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization decided Wednesday to halt trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, finding it did not reduce the mortality rate. A decades-old malaria and rheumatoid arthritis drug, hydroxychloroquine has been at the centre of political and scientific controversy. It has been touted as a possible treatment for the new coronavirus by high profile figures, including US President Donald Trump. The drug […]

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Honduran president hospitalized with COVID-19: government

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AFP) — Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was admitted to hospital in the capital Tegucigalpa after announcing he had contracted the coronavirus, the government said Wednesday. Doctors who examined the president said laboratory tests showed he was suffering from pneumonia, government spokesman Francis Contreras told reporters at the capital’s Military Hospital. He added that Hernandez “has some infiltrates in his lungs but his general state of health is good.” The 51-year-old president announced […]

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Germany’s CureVac starts human trials for COVID-19 vaccine

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German biotech firm CureVac has won permission to start human trials of a promising coronavirus vaccine, regulators announced Wednesday, as the global race to stop the pandemic gathers pace. The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the German body responsible for assessing clinical trials and approving vaccines, called the approval “an important milestone”. In a statement, it said it had given CureVac the green light based on “a careful assessment of […]

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China cancels flights, classes over new outbreak as India deaths soar

by Jing Xuan Teng and Laurie Chen, with AFP Bureaus Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China closed schools in Beijing and restricted air travel from the capital on Wednesday to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections, as India’s death toll spiked. The new Chinese cluster and surging infections in Latin America and South Asia have raised fresh doubts about how soon the world can control the pandemic, which has seen more than 8.1 […]

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New Zealand military to control borders after virus bungle

by Neil SANDS WELLINGTON, United States (AFP) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered the military to oversee the country’s border controls Wednesday after a bungle that allowed two people with the coronavirus to leave quarantine. A 24-day run with no new cases was broken Tuesday when it emerged two women who recently arrived from Britain were allowed out of quarantine early without being tested for the virus, even though one had mild symptoms. […]

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Robots: allies during virus crisis, enemies later?

by Pierrick YVON Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — When human contact needs to be kept to a minimum, robots can save lives and factories. But when the coronavirus crisis is over, will they amplify job losses? It may be a mechanised arm pulling beers in a Seville bar, a dog-like dispenser of hand sanitiser in a Bangkok mall, a cooler on wheels that delivers groceries in Washington, or a vaguely humanoid greeter at a […]

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Steroid first drug shown to save lives of severest COVID-19 cases

by Dmitry ZAKS with Patrick GALEY in Paris Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The steroid dexamethasone was shown Tuesday to be the first drug to significantly reduce the risk of death among severe COVID-19 cases, in trial results hailed as a “major breakthrough” in the fight against the disease. Researchers led by a team from the University of Oxford administered the widely available drug to more than 2,000 severely ill COVID-19 patients. Among […]

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Scooters, e-bikes gain traction as virus lockdowns ease

by Rob Lever WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Electric bikes and scooters, dismissed before the pandemic as a curiosity or nuisance, are getting fresh traction in cities seeking new transportation options as they emerge from lockdowns. Some “micromobility” operators which cut back or shut down during the coronavirus lockdowns are now expanding to meet growing demands. Shared mobility operators Lime, Bird, and Ford-owned Spin report robust growth in cities worldwide, despite a near-shutdown of tourism, […]

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Brazil reports highest daily jump in virus cases

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil on Tuesday recorded its highest daily jump in new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with nearly 35,000 registered in 24 hours, the health ministry said. The country, which has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world, after the United States, reported 34,918 new cases and 1,282 new deaths in the past 24 hours. That brought Brazil’s total caseload to more than […]

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Beijing schools closed again as city finds 31 more virus cases

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing shut all its schools again on Wednesday as the city reported 31 new coronavirus cases, with authorities in the Chinese capital rushing to curb an outbreak linked to a wholesale food market. The new cases have raised fears of a second wave of infections as China had largely brought its domestic outbreak under control. City authorities on Tuesday had also announced a travel ban for residents of “medium- or high-risk” […]

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